Kou Meets A Girl
by Tallia
Summary: Sorry I've been so slow, everyone! Here's CHAPTER FOUR THE CONCLUSION...it's short but sweet!! LOL ps thank you for all the great reviews!!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Kou Meets A Girl  
Author: Tallia  
Rating: PG13, for language  
Summary: Poor, lonely Kou meets a girl...but she doesn't seem overly interested...  
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just amusing myself with them.  
  
*****  
  
Kou leaned back in the decrepit chair in the bouncers' break room, and sighed, cradling his head in his hands. He waited for some kind of reaction, or at least some kind of acknowledgement, from the other two bouncers. Seeing that none was forthcoming, he sighed again, loudly and dramatically.  
  
Sion, just coming off a shift, hid a grin and pretended to ignore Kou. Volt just did as he normally did, which was ignore Kou.  
  
"Good shift?" Volt typically did not waste words.  
  
"Yeah, good. No big problems. Your shift, Kou." Sion grabbed a beer out of the beat-up old fridge, and took a quick scan of its contents. "Ugh...that sandwich has been in here for a week, or more..."  
  
"Not mine." Volt watched the hockey game on the small tv. "Kou, get off your ass."  
  
Putting on a sad, "poor little ol' me" face, Kou sighed again, even more loudly and dramatically. Volt glared at him, at the end of his patience.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?"  
  
"Oh, I'm just a little depressed..."  
  
"Too bad. Go to work." Volt turned away to watch the tv again, flashing a quick smirk at Sion, who grinned back. For someone with so much bouncy energy, Kou could be a real lazy ass sometimes.  
  
Kou levered himself out of the chair, face glum. "Fine, fine. Don't even ask me WHY I'm depressed..."  
  
"Ok. I won't."   
  
Sion chuckled at Volt's curt response, then gave in. "Ok, Kou. Why are you depressed."  
  
Another pitiful sigh. "I've been single for six months, as of today. I'm a lonely man, Sion."  
  
"Oh, for..." Volt even chuckled, at that one. "Lonely, my ass. How often do you go home alone?"  
  
"More often than you'd think." Checking his ultra-straight dark hair in the mirror, Kou straightened his clothes, then rejoined his friends in the break room. "And anyway...it's not sex that counts. That's just for fun. You know, recreation."  
  
"So what is it that counts?" Sion was curious. Kou, while a nice guy, (if a little condescending and sarcastic at times), seemed a bit shallow to him, even a bit flighty. He couldn't picture Kou in any kind of serious relationship. No, actually...he couldn't picture any woman putting up with Kou long enough to be in any kind of serious relationship with him.  
  
"Stupid question, Sion. Real stupid." Kou looked at his younger friend, sadly. "Love. Love is all that counts. Real, true love. You know, the soulmate kind of love." He ignored the snorts and guffaws coming from Volt. "The only kind that I'll settle for."  
  
"Kou, get to work." Volt's command was surprisingly gentle. "And stop looking for love in a bar. That's your problem. You keep thinking lust is love."  
  
"Well, it's a pretty good beginning, isn't it?" Kou disappeared down the stairs, his usual bounce not evident in his gait.  
  
Sion crashed next to Volt, and quickly became absorbed in the game. "He'll get it someday."  
  
Volt snorted derisively. "There's a lot of things he doesn't get. For such a smart guy, he's quite the dumbass sometimes."  
  
***  
  
Perhaps Kou's distraction was the reason that the fight was able to occur in the first place. For normally, on his shift, things went relatively smoothly. But he wasn't his normal self, and by the time he realized that there was trouble, punches had already been thrown.  
  
Definitely off his judgement, he'd grabbed one guy from behind, to pull him out of the fray. The guy had ducked, resulting in Kou getting a good punch to the chin. It was a real good shot -- he was seeing stars -- and, uncharastically enough, he was seeing red. Winging off a good shot of his own, he didn't react quickly enough when his assailant ducked -- and delivered a hard punch to the face of the young woman behind him.  
  
"Oh, shit!! I'm sorry --", he began, seeing blood erupt from her nose. Before he could finish, however, the two guys that had been fighting both jumped him, knocking him to the floor and pummeling him.   
  
Suddenly Kou was able to breathe again, as Volt lifted both guys off Kou and literally tossed them out the door. Sion was checking on the injured young woman.  
  
"Pretty bad, Leifoh." Volt's angry face was in his. "Fuck, you're really off tonight."  
  
"I'm sorry," he began, his speech a little garbled from a rapidly-swelling lip. "Is that girl ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." She turned to face him, holding a rapidly-reddening cloth to her nose. Her right eye was becoming puffy and discoloured. "I know it was an accident. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Come on upstairs, Miss. We'll get you cleaned up. Sion, keep an eye out down here." Gently, Volt escorted her upstairs, taking her elbow. He used his other hand to drag Kou along by his vest.  
  
Once upstairs, Volt helped the young woman wash her face, and got her a cold cloth with ice for her eye. She sat down, waiting, while Kou cleaned himself up.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Volt spat at Kou. "Were you even awake down there? What?"  
  
"Sorry." Kou's lip was definitely swollen, and his cheekbone was becoming puffy and purple. Hurt like hell, too. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Go the hell home." Volt gestured towards the young woman. "Take her home, first. And apologize. Then go home. You're useless here." He turned away, angrily, but calmed himself when he reached the girl. "We're really sorry about what happened, Miss. I've arranged for a bar tab for you, for your next visit. May I have your name, please?"  
  
"Keera Scott."  
  
"Great, Keera. I'll take care of that right away. Do you have a car, or...?"  
  
"I just live two blocks over. I'll walk home."  
  
"Kou, here, will escort you home." He gestured at the pitiful-looking bouncer.  
  
"Oh, thanks."  
  
"No problem. I live nearby, too. It's the least I can do." Kou smiled at her. Behind her new bruises, she seemed attractive enough. Early twenties, he guessed, with dark hair cut into a pixie cut, and big blue eyes. She might have had a nice smile, but the side of her face was too puffy for him to tell. She was short, and curvy, but solid-looking, as well. Quite cute, he thought.  
  
"Well, thanks. I know you didn't mean to hit me."  
  
He rose, and held out his arm to her. "No, I didn't, and if you want, you can hit me back."  
  
She laughed, and her eyes twinkled up at him. They made their way out the front door.  
  
***  
  
"So how long have you been a bouncer?" They were walking along a quiet side street, with a slightly chilly wind at their backs.  
  
"Long enough, sweetie." Typically evasive, Kou smiled down at his companion. "And what do you do for a living?"  
  
"I'm a writer."  
  
"You are?" Kou was impressed. He'd also been a writer, once...but that was a long time ago, and a part of his past that he preferred to keep to himself.  
  
"Romance novels."  
  
"Oh, right." He snorted. "Boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married, have babies, stay in love..."  
  
She laughed. "Yeah, that sort of thing."  
  
"Be nice if it could really happen."  
  
"Never been in love?" Her blue eyes regarded him quizzically, good-naturedly.  
  
He seemed to withdraw into himself. "Next question."  
  
Her smile faded. "Excuse me. I didn't mean to pry." She stopped. "This is it."  
  
He looked up at a large, ornate, old-fashioned brick building. "Nice place."  
  
"Thanks. Can I...uh, call you a cab, or something?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Ok! You're a cab!" Keera giggled up at him, and Kou couldn't help but laugh at the lame joke. The sudden tension between them dissipated, and he felt comfortable with her once again.  
  
"Actually, don't worry about it...I'm just a block and a half away."  
  
"Ok." She smiled, and looked up at him. "Well...thanks for the escort."  
  
"Alright. Sorry again about..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it."  
  
He paused for a moment. "Well...I guess I'll see you around?"  
  
"Maybe, yeah."  
  
"Don't forget your bar tab," he reminded her.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I won't."  
  
"Well." Kou seemed at a loss for words -- something that was rare, for him. "Well...uh...I...uh, I work tomorrow night...uh, maybe I'll see ya then?"  
  
"I think I'll let these bruises heal first," she teased. Kou flushed at the comment.  
  
"I said I was sorry!"  
  
"I'm just teasing...I'll see you around, Kou."  
  
He sighed, and watched as she nimbly hopped up the steps of her apartment building.  
  
"Yeah...see ya."  
  
She paused, to wave from the doorway, then disappeared inside.  
  
Kou watched a moment longer, then, with a lonely sigh, turned and walked towards his own empty apartment.  
  
*****  
  
To be continued?   
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	2. Chapter Two

Kou rolled gracefully out of a yoga pose. Yoga was his caffeine-free way of waking up in the mornings, and helped him center his mind, his body, and his spirit. After he completed his yoga routine, he then went on to practise his hour-and-a-half martial arts routine. Both routines took great concentration and great strength, and he managed to find an inner peace during them. It was always a fleeting inner peace, for when reality returned, memories returned, and once again he would use sarcasm, wit, charm, evasiveness -- whatever it took -- to keep the outside world from sensing the turmoil within. Breathing deeply, sweat tracing tickling paths down his bare back, he began to move.  
  
Later, his workout completed, he hopped into the shower in his small bathroom. As the first of the hot, steaming water sprays hit his face, his hard-won relaxation began to desert him, and his mind turned to other topics.  
  
He winced at the twinge of pain from his split lip, and Keera Scott came to mind. He wondered how her face felt this morning, with a pang of guilt. Accident or no, Kou Leifoh didn't believe in hitting women, especially women that were a lot smaller than him.   
  
A quick shower, then a quick towel off. Wearing nothing but boxer shorts, he padded barefoot to his tiny kitchen...hell, everything in this apartment was tiny. But it was his, he thought, with satisfaction. Paid for with money that he had earned, not money that...  
  
No. He refused to allow those thoughts.   
  
It was an old battle, one that he was sure he would never win. But the past was the past, and had no place in the present, in his new life of freedom and independence.  
  
It wasn't until he had a bowl of fruit and a glass of milk and was sitting by the window seat, looking out at the city below, when his thoughts returned to Keera.  
  
She was a nice girl, he thought. Not really his type -- his type ran more to girls that he could describe only as "hot". But she was nice. The kind of girl a guy could be friends with. He hoped he'd see her again.  
  
He started, briefly, at the feeling of warm fur against his calf.  
  
"Hello, Buford," he said, stroking the cat's warm fur. Buford was about a year old, give or take. He'd found the starving kitten on his way home from his first night of work at the Fate Bar. Not an animal lover, Kou had nonetheless been affected by the sight of the tiny, hungry creature that limped towards him. It was a chilly, rainy night, and he, in an uncharacteristic burst of kindness, had scooped up the little animal and brought it home with him. He'd planned to bring it to the animal shelter the next morning, but, when he awoke, the kitten had curled up in bed with him, purring loudly.   
  
Even after he'd given the little fellow some canned tuna, the kitten had remained wrapped around his ankle, purring, ignoring the food. It was the first time in years that he had been the recipient of unconditional love, and it touched his heart deeply. There were no more thoughts of the animal shelter after that.  
  
Today, Buford was a twelve-pound bundle of silky gray fur and a heart full of love. He and Kou were best of friends.  
  
Mumbling nonsense words, Kou cuddled Buford, soothed by his purrs. He was startled when the peace was shattered by the ringing of the phone.  
  
"Down, buddy. Down." He eased Buford off his lap, and padded over to the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Kou?"  
  
He sighed inwardly as he recognized the voice of his ex-girlfriend, Dianne. "Yes, Dianne."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Fine." Other than the fact that I'm talking to you, he thought.  
  
He'd thought things were going fine with him and Dianne. They'd been dating for almost a year, when he'd come home early from the Bar a few months ago, and caught her with her *supposedly* gay friend, Eric. He hadn't said anything to her. No need to. He packed his bags, and walked out. He'd slept at the Bar that night, then found this tiny apartment the very next day.  
  
Other than the occasional bouts of loneliness, of wondering if there were something wrong with him, he'd been fairly content. There'd been a few women since then, but nothing serious. And he'd been happy that way.  
  
Until a few days ago, oddly enough. He'd felt an odd yearning for an actual relationship, something based on more than sex. His musings were interrupted by her voice.  
  
"That's good. Uh..."  
  
"What do you want, Dianne?"  
  
"Well...uh...want to go out sometime?"  
  
A small sigh. "No." He hung up on her. The phone began ringing within the next few seconds.  
  
With another sigh, he went to his bedroom to get dressed, to go into work early. Better than spending the day dodging her phone calls.  
  
***  
  
Emerging from his somewhat-dingy apartment building, Kou turned down the street he normally took to work, then stopped.  
  
He was early, anyway. Why not take a walk by Keera's place? The extra few blocks wouldn't hurt him, and he was wondering how she was doing.  
  
His feet were taking him there even as he rationalised his decision to himself; then, standing in front of her building, he wondered which apartment was hers. He started to go up the steps, when he noticed the picture window of the apartment to his right...there were four cats dozing on the windowsill. Cute.  
  
As he resumed walking, he noticed Keera come up behind the cats, and look out the window...she seemed surprised to see Kou on the steps, then smiled at him, and gestured to him to "wait a moment."  
  
Sure enough, moments later, the front door opened, and he entered the building.  
  
"Nice place," he said, looking around at the cozy apartment. He'd miscounted -- there were six cats.   
  
"Thanks...what are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh," he said, kicking off his shoes. "I was going in to work early, and decided to stop by and see how you were doing, after getting beat up by some idiot bouncer last night."  
  
"Not bad," she said, tilting her face to him. "Little bit sore, but nothing I can't live with."  
  
His heart sank as he noticed the bruises, however. Dark purple and swollen, she looked terrible. "Oh, damn...Keera, I'm so sorry..."  
  
"It was an accident, Kou. I know." She gestured towards a comfortable looking couch. "Want something to drink?"  
  
"Ummm...sure...water, if you've got it?"  
  
"I've got it." She headed for the kitchen.  
  
He noticed her computer was on, with text on the screen, and realized that perhaps she'd been working. "Uh...Keera?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Am I interrupting anything?"  
  
"Not really, no." She returned, with two glasses and a jug of spring water. "My hero and heroine just had a fight, and I'm trying to think up an original, and funny, way for them to get back together."  
  
He took a long drink of the cold water, then asked, "But aren't those kind of books formulaic? I mean, aren't they basically all the same?"  
  
"No. Don't be condescending, either. It's a pretty good way to make a living."  
  
"Oh, I know it."  
  
"Do you?" She was watching him keenly.  
  
"Next question."  
  
She laughed. "What is your problem?"  
  
"My past is no one's business. That's it. No problem." He took another drink of water, aware that she was watching him closely.  
  
"No problem, then. I love a good mystery."  
  
He sighed. "I mean it."  
  
She stared at him a moment longer, then shrugged. "Fine. So...you like sports?"  
  
***  
Damn, he thought, heading out the door. He'd only meant to visit, to see how she was doing, and ended up spending the entire afternoon there, as well as staying for supper. Now, he was going to be late for his shift -- he'd called ahead, and Volt had taken the call. Unsympathetic as usual, Volt snapped at him to hurry his ass up.  
  
He liked his fellow bouncers. He was no idiot -- he knew Volt considered him a flighty, airheaded moron. That was fine. He liked it that way. He also knew that Volt was a decent, honourable guy, who would be there for him if he ever needed it. After his breakup with Dianne, Volt had taken him out drinking on his night off, and had introduced him to a couple of girls he knew. Sion, he knew, saw a little deeper than Volt did, but he also sensed that Sion lived with pain of his own, so he was gentler with the youngster. He was no stranger to living with pain.  
  
"What the hell took you so long?" A small grin on his face, Volt stood by the door.  
  
"Slept in."  
  
"Caller id on the phone showed the name Keera Scott."  
  
For some reason, Kou flushed. "I stopped to see how she was doing. That's what took me so long...I forgot it was a few blocks out of my way."  
  
"How is she doing?"  
  
Kou averted his eyes, still feeling guilty. "Fine. Bruised up, but fine." Volt said nothing, but Kou could feel those fake-red eyes boring into his back, as he trotted up the stairs to get ready for his shift.  
  
*****  
To Be Continued!  



	3. Chapter Three

"So how's things with Keera?" Volt tossed this question, out of the blue, about a week later, when he and Kou were watching tv in their break room, between shifts. Kou had been taking a swig of his beer at the time, and, bottle still in his mouth, cocked a sideways glance at Volt. He swallowed quickly, and spoke.  
  
"What do you mean, how's things?" He frowned a bit.  
  
"You're dating her, aren't you?"  
  
"No, we're not dating." Kou wasn't sure if that was the correct answer. They'd spent nearly every waking, non-working moment together in the last week. He'd even passed out at her place one night when they'd been drinking. He and Keera had become firm friends in the last few days. But dating? She wasn't really his type.  
  
"You're not?" Volt frowned at Kou. "You're practically living with her..."  
  
"No, I'm not," retorted Kou, snappily. "We're just friends, and that's all. She's not my type."  
  
Volt's crimson eyes widened. "You're fucking joking, right?"  
  
"Volt," Kou began, patiently. "My type is the tall, thin blonde type that can do more important things with her mouth than talk. My type..."  
  
"Shut up." Volt glared at him. "Just last week you were whining how you wanted to be in love again, and all that crap."  
  
"Well, who needs love?" Kou bantered. "Keera's a terrific companion. All I need is a good bedwarmer, and I've got the best of both worlds."  
  
"Supercilious asshole." Before Kou could even begin to tease Volt about his vocabulary, Volt continued. "A nice girl like Keera, and you're just using her. Leading her on."  
  
"It's not like that!" He began to get defensive, now.  
  
"Hell it isn't! Maybe she's not your type, but how do you know she doesn't have feelings for you?"  
  
Kou closed his mouth, stung by the thought.   
  
"Fact is, I know a guy who was here last night when she met you here. He wants to meet her. He's a good type...wouldn't lead her on, like you are."  
  
"I told you..."  
  
"Fuck you. Selfish little bastard. If you were any kind of a friend, you'd (a) stop monopolizing her, so other guys wouldn't be scared away, and (b) be glad that she has the chance to meet someone who would care for her. But NO, not Kou. Kou's got to have everything, even things he doesn't want..." Volt tensed, and trailed off as Kou shot to his feet, a flush on his cheeks.   
  
"I. Told. You. That...."  
  
"Your shift, Volt." Sion trotted up the stairs and grabbed a beer out of the fridge, and swung into his favourite chair, all in one easy motion.   
  
Volt stood, and walked right past the unmoving Kou, who gave him a shove. Didn't make much difference -- Volt was a brick wall, and a shove wasn't going to move him. He did stop, however, and turn slowly towards Kou, who was facing him with angry eyes and clenched fists. He didn't care. He wasn't afraid of him. But he was surprised that he'd been able to get under Leifoh's skin like this, and rather liked it. He narrowed his eyes and stared Kou down, uttering one word: User.  
  
With a roar, the normally-unflappable younger man launched himself at Volt, aiming a punch right for the throat -- if not for a football-style tackle from lightning-fast Sion, there would have been a brawl. As it was, Volt stepped forward and pulled Kou out from under Sion, lifting him by his long dark hair, and flung him against the wall. Kou struggled to get up, but Volt twisted Kou's leather vest in his meaty hand and pinned Kou tightly. He leaned in and hissed, "You're nothing but a cheap user. You're treating a nice girl like shit, and it's going to stop. Here and now. She meeting you here again tonight?"  
  
Eyes wide, Kou nodded.  
  
"Then you decide. Right here and now. When she shows up, do I introduce her to my friend, or are you going to start treating her right?"  
  
"I...I don't know..."  
  
"You'd better know, by the end of my shift. Two hours, Leifoh. That's it. And then I want an answer. Understood?"  
  
Kou nodded quickly.  
  
Volt released him, and stared hard at him for a long moment. Then, with a final glare, he went downstairs for his shift.  
  
"What the hell..." Sion rose from the floor, brushing himself off. "What did you do to piss him off like that?"  
  
"Nothing. Never mind." Kou grabbed his beer, and went to sulk in the corner, ignoring Sion.  
  
***  
  
Keera got out of the cab, and thanked the driver. She didn't feel safe walking the streets at night unless Kou was with her.  
  
She'd just gotten her hair highlighted, and was wearing a cute new outfit -- rather revealing, but cute. While Kou always told her she looked great, she wanted to look especially nice tonight...they'd planned to go out to dinner after his last shift.  
  
She was enjoying herself so much these days. Kou was a ton of fun, and so easy to talk to. Indeed, once they got going, they could literally talk for hours without getting bored. She hadn't made any more headway into finding out about his past, but she had hopes that someday she would. He wouldn't even tell her what the tattoos meant.   
  
Ah, well. Someday she would find out. For now, however, she was content to just be with him.  
  
She suspected that she was falling head over heels in love with him.  
  
Keera was reasonably sure that Kou had feelings for her, as well. He must have, she reasoned. Otherwise, why would a gorgeous hunk like him spend so much time with her?   
  
As she entered the bar, she spotted Kou over by the bar, talking to a tall blonde girl. He was smiling and flirting with the young woman. Keera didn't mind...she knew that was part of his job, and he tended to be a bit flirtatious, by nature. She was, as well, so she didn't worry about it. As she approached him, however, and he spotted her, his expression changed from pleasure to surprised guilt.  
  
"Keera...you're early..."  
  
"That a problem?" She wondered about the bruises on his face -- there must have been trouble. "Are you ok? Were you in a fight?"  
  
"Yeah, sort of. Look, can I talk to you for a moment? Over here?" He motioned her over to under the stairs. It was the only place for a bit of privacy in that bar.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Well, I want to...damn, but you look great tonight! I love that dress!"  
  
"Thanks." She laughed, and flushed a little. "What do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Well," Kou looked away. In fact, he wouldn't meet her eyes. She had a bad feeling about this...  
  
"I don't think we should see each other anymore."  
  
"Fine." Keera turned around and walked away. That was her way. Never beg, never plead, never ask why...just go. Kou watched her go, stunned.  
  
"Where's she going?" Volt's harsh voice pulled him out of his reverie.  
  
"Uh...I don't know...uh..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't know. I told her that I didn't think we should see each other anymore, and she said "Fine" and walked out. She didn't ask why, or anything?" Kou stared at Volt, bewildered.   
  
"But I was going to introduce her to..."  
  
"Fuck off, Volt. I don't want to hear about it." Kou walked upstairs, to retrieve his jacket. His shift was over, and he just wanted to go home.   
  
As he shrugged into his leather coat, he remembered the reservations he had made for them at Le Muncherie, one of the best restaurants in town. Kou sat down on the couch, and pulled the silver-and-turquoise bracelet he had bought for her birthday out of his pocket, and just stared at it, sadly.  
  
Maybe he'd made the wrong choice, when he'd told Volt that he would back off. But the other option was a more serious committment, and something in him had panicked at the thought. He hadn't been much of a husband before...  
  
Ruthlessly, he pushed that thought down, as he did with any memories of his much-better-forgotten past.  
  
He sighed as Volt came upstairs, and stood, staring at him. He stood up, himself.  
  
"Here," he said, tossing the bracelet at Volt. "If things work out for her and that guy, tell him to give her this as a gift. I bought it for her birthday. She loves turquoise." Head bowed, he left to go home, leaving Volt staring after him. Slowly, Volt smiled, and put the bracelet away in his locker. After seeing the look in Kou's eyes, he decided that he wouldn't be introducing Keera to anyone else, anytime soon.   
  
***  
  
She was so mad, she didn't bother to call a cab home. It was only a few blocks, anyway, and the cold air might help cool her off a bit.  
  
What an idiot she'd been. Of course a guy like Kou could do a lot better than her. Why had he even wasted her time in the first place? Just playing, obviously. Guys like him liked to boost their egos by playing around like that. She shouldn't have been so surprised. Or so hurt. She should have seen this coming.  
  
Wiping angry tears away, she looked around, and realized that she'd taken the wrong street. Pretty dumb, Scott, she thought to herself. Still cursing, she turned to retrace her steps. She hadn't gotten far, however, when she noticed the sound of footsteps behind her. Throwing a swift glance over her shoulder, she noticed three men behind her, and began to panic...the streets around her weren't the safest, and here she was, alone in the dark. Cursing her high heeled shoes, she began to run. Behind her, she could hear the guys laughing, and running after her.  
  
***  
  
Kou had meant to go straight home, but couldn't resist taking a detour, one that would lead him past Keera's house. Maybe she'd be home, and he could explain everything to her. Maybe she'd even listen.  
  
Every time he thought about the scene at the bar, he felt like he was going to cry. He'd thought maybe they could stay friends, but it was obvious that she was angry with him.   
  
Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe he should have told Volt...  
  
Was that a scream he'd just heard?  
  
Probably. This wasn't the best neighbourhood in town. He continued walking, only to stop short when he heard it again.  
  
Dammit, he thought. He wasn't a cop. But it sounded like a woman screaming, and...  
  
And the hell with it. He broke into a run, into the direction that the sound had come from.  
  
***  
  
"Dammit! Little bitch!" The largest of the three pulled his bleeding hand away, examining the spot where Keera had bit it. It was taking the other two all of their strength to hold her down. Keera screamed again, and intensified her struggles...they weren't getting her without a fight!  
  
"Here," the big one muttered, and ripped her dress right down the front. One meaty hand tore her bra off, cutting her skin where the fabric pulled the most, and ripped her panties, as well. "Hold her still!"  
  
"I'm fucking trying to! Little wildcat!"  
  
As the largest tried to lower himself onto her, she managed to get her leg up, and belt him in the gonads with one pointed shoe.  
  
"Aaaaghhhhh!!!" He screamed, and covered himself, sinking to the ground. Keera let loose with another scream, but her throat was getting hoarse, and one of her assailants had an arm around her neck, cutting off her air.  
  
"Hold her," the other one said. "I'm gonna break both her legs, so she can't kick..."  
  
He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence. A vicious punch from Kou slammed him face-first into the brick wall of the alley. Kou slammed his head into the wall a couple more times for good measure, checked to make sure the other guy was out, then turned his attention to Keera and her attacker.  
  
"Fuck off, man. Don't come any closer." The kid held a knife to her throat.  
  
"Let her go, I'll let you go. Hurt her, I'll damn well kill you." Kou's voice was ice-cold deadly. "Let her go."  
  
"No way, man. Get away from me!" At that moment, Keera fainted, surprising the teen enough that he dropped her. Kou seized the moment, grabbing his wrist and twisting it until he heard the bones break. He was surprised when Keera, tattered and half-naked, pushed him aside and planted a fist of her own into her assailant's face. For a moment, he stood there, stunned, as tears poured down her dirt-smeared face, and her breath hitched. She was trying hard not to cry.  
  
"Oh, here." He stripped off his coat, and wrapped it around her. "You building's over there...can you walk that far?" Head down, she nodded. "Come on, then," he cooed softly, arm around her.  
  
***  
  
Keera soaked in the hot bath, letting the steaming water ease her aches and pains. She was fine, she'd insisted to Kou, and didn't need to go to the hospital. Merely bruised.  
  
He'd still insisted on accompanying her inside, and running her a bath. He was in the kitchen right now, whipping up something to eat -- whatever it was, it smelled delicious. She didn't know he could cook.  
  
Her aches and pains were fading, thanks to the hot water and the painkillers Kou had make her take. And, truth to tell, she wasn't all that shaken up. It had been terrifying, but these things happened. It was her own fault for not taking a cab home.  
  
No, it was the ache on the inside that was bothering her. Kou was being kind to her, and she had to admit, he'd really been a knight in shining armour when he'd rescued her, but her mind kept returning back to the scene in the bar. Where he'd dumped her.   
  
That part had hurt more than anything else could have, tonight. She wasn't the most trusting of people. Hell, her ex-husband had pretty much beaten all of the trust out of her, years ago. But Kou had seemed...well, special. Not to sound corny, but he had. He'd seemed to be different from all the rest. And she'd trusted him the moment she had met him.  
  
Why had he dumped her? She'd thought things were going so well. Was it that blonde back at the bar? Perhaps that was it. He came into contact with so many women, every night that he worked. Perhaps she just didn't measure up to any of them. That was probably it.  
  
Against her will, Keera had started sniffling again, when there was a tap at the door. She tried to stop crying, but when Kou poked his head in, there was so much concern on his face that it was as if a dam had burst, and she started bawling.  
  
"Kee...Kee, are you ok? Oh, I knew we should have gone to the emergency room..."  
  
"No, no," she sobbed against his warm chest. It felt wonderful, his holding her so close. "I'm ok."  
  
"Ok," he soothed. "Just let it all out, love. Go ahead. Just cry it all out..."  
  
"Don't call me that."  
  
"What, 'Kee'?"  
  
"No." She sobbed even harder, unable to stop herself. "Don't call me 'Love'."  
  
Kou went completely still. He hadn't even realized that he had called her that.  
  
"Sorry." He stood. "Whenever you're ready to come out, I've got a snack ready."  
  
"I'm not hungry."  
  
"Fine." His gaze was remote. "I'll leave, then."  
  
He went to turn away, but the expression on her face stopped him. "What is it?," he asked, gently.   
  
She took a deep breath. She hated to ask him for anything, but..."Don't leave. Please?"  
  
He paused, then nodded. "Are you getting out of the tub?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He dug some fluffy towels out of the closet. "Need any help?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Ok. I'll wait here, though, just in case." He turned around, to afford her some privacy, and tried to ignore the sounds of her towelling off.   
  
Finally she touched his arm. "Ok. I'm going to go put some clothes on."  
  
He looked down at her, so short and so fragile-looking in those big, puffy towels, struck by the vulnerability in her eyes. Without a word, he put his arms around her and pulled her close.  
  
Screw Volt, he thought, snuggling her in his arms and pressing a kiss onto her wet hair. He would talk to the other bouncer tomorrow. Because he was staying here with Keera, tonight.  
  
*****  
TBC! 


	4. Chapter Four -- Conclusion

Kou lay in bed with Keera snuggled close to him. The sun was just starting to come up, casting dancing rays of light around the bedroom, dazzling his eyes. He loved it. Sunrise had always been one of his favourite times of the day, and he often missed it due to the late hours he worked.  
  
He rose, pausing to make sure Keera was tucked in warmly, and he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before he made his way over to the window.   
  
It was going to be a nice day out. The sky was clear, the bit of a breeze he could get from the slightly-opened window smelled fresh. It looked like it was going to be a real nice day.  
  
He turned to look at Keera as she mumbled something in her sleep, and he frowned at the sight of the bruises on her arms. His thoughts returned to the night before, and he closed his eyes. What a scare. What a stupid night it had been. Damn Volt.  
  
Things had been going just swimmingly...or had they? Had it been time to take the relationship to the next level? He didn't regret spending the night with her...far, far from it...but he felt that, between Volt and the incident, he'd been pushed into making more of a committment than he'd been ready to make, and he resented it. He sighed. Brushing his hand through his floppy long hair, Kou tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. No, he hadn't been ready to make such a committment. He wasn't sure if what he felt was friendship or love, and was angry that circumstances had dictated his actions.  
  
Just then Keera awoke, and regarded Kou with a dopey, sleepy expression.  
  
"Morning."  
  
"It certainly is," Kou agreed, smirking at her. "What a lovely case of bedhead you have, my dear."  
  
"Mmmph." Apparently deciding that it wasn't time to get up yet, Keera buried herself back under the covers. Kou watched her for a moment, then went to sit on the bed, beside her.  
  
"Kee?"  
  
"Mmmm?"  
  
"We have to talk."  
  
"Don't gimme that line. Stay or go. No strings attached."  
  
Kou felt like he'd been slapped in the face...he'd expected warm, fuzzy feelings, some affection, some cuddling...not a "take it or leave it" command.  
  
"No, Kee...I want to talk about things."  
  
"Ohhh," she groaned, rolling onto her back and squinting up at him. "There's nothing worse than a man who wants to talk things out. I meant what I said. No, listen to me," she continued, as Kou was about to interrupt her. "All I want is a friend and a lover. Nothing more. I don't want a boyfriend, I don't want another husband, I don't want any of that crap. I want my freedom and I want a terrific friend that I can have great sex with. So far, you fit the bill perfectly. So...it's there if you want it. All I ask is that you're faithful, or you tell me if you're sleeping with someone else. Can you dig it?" She rested one forearm on her forehead, blocking out some of the sun.  
  
In fact, that was the exact sort of arrangement that Kou wanted, and faithfulness was no problem for him. But it was her matter-of-fact statement that left him feeling as though he'd been doused with ice water, and his sarcastic tone reflected his affront.  
  
"Well, that was certainly romantic," he began. Keera rolled into a sitting position and grinned at him sleepily, her hair sticking up everywhere.  
  
"Romance? Oh baby...I can give you romance till you beg and plead for mercy. Friendship? You betcha! Great sex? I'll knock your socks off."  
  
Kou felt a little dazed, and more than a little out of control of the situation. "Well, how about I let you know?"  
  
"Sorry, Kou baby, the offer's only good for thirty more seconds. Then you're outta here."  
  
"No...no...wait a minute...who said you get to call the shots around here? Hey...wait...what's this about *another* husband? And..."  
  
"And nothing. You tell me your past, I'll tell you mine. I'm going to make breakfast."  
Keera hopped out of bed and made her way to the kitchen, leaving a confused and bemused Kou sitting amongst the blankets.   
  
Damned woman! He seethed, resentful at her bossy, manipulative ways... After a moment, though, he smiled to himself. Oh well, he thought...romance, friendship, and great sex? What more could he ask for?  
  
Wearing nothing but a smile, his arms opened wide, he went to the kitchen, and pulled Keera close.  
  
"That offer still good?"  
  
Her answering laughter and kiss assured him that it was.  
  
*****  
The End! :-) 


End file.
